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‘Afternoon.’
For a moment Liev was too stunned by where he was to notice the respect in the lad’s voice and the warmth of Bianca’s as she’d replied. Was this one of her frequently used interview locations?
More of the youngsters greeted her, most regarding him with suspicion. ‘You seem to be well known here.’
‘Supporting this place has been my personal project for over ten years.’ She looked up at him as they stood in the high-walled courtyard, with the sounds of New York City drifting in. ‘I grew up with privileges, well aware that many didn’t.’
‘Without Miss Di Sione’s help, this place would have closed long ago,’ added Nick, and he called over a teenage lad.
Bianca did this? Supported these kids and their families? He looked at her and saw her cheeks colour beneath his scrutiny. He was about to say something when the lad Nick had called over approached. He nodded in a way that showed his respect for her but didn’t damage his toughened exterior. Then he glanced at him and the years fell away. It was like looking at himself twenty years ago.
‘Great to meet you. I’m Liev.’ He didn’t offer to shake hands. He knew well enough how much personal space was valued. The lad nodded solemnly and Liev wished he could reach him, tell him he knew how he felt.
‘Billy will stand with you for a photo,’ offered Nick.
‘Just one.’ Billy spoke and finally made eye contact with him. As he looked into the eyes of his youth, he could feel the warmth of Bianca’s presence, keeping him from sliding back to the nightmare of those days.
‘Billy’s been here on and off with his family for three years,’ said Bianca softly. ‘Just one photo is all we need, Billy. Thanks.’
* * *
Bianca watched as the photographer took the photo, cajoling Billy to pose for at least one more. Then the interviewer asked them questions and Billy slipped away, melting effortlessly into the background. She could feel each question making Liev more tense, more closed off.
The next question was fired at him. ‘You haven’t had a good childhood yourself, I understand?’
She saw Liev glance at Billy, where he lingered in the shadows, as if he’d forgotten everything else, and Bianca’s heart reached out to Liev and the boy he had once been. A boy just like Billy.
‘I was twelve when my parents died. They’d lost everything in a bad business deal and I had nobody, no choice but to live on the streets of St Petersburg.’
Billy stepped back out of the shadows and looked at Liev, making eye contact, which this time seemed full of healthy respect.
‘How did you get where you are now?’ the interviewer asked, obviously intrigued by the connection between Liev and the boy. Just as she was.
‘I did anything I could.’
Billy nodded at this, approving of what he was hearing. Bianca wanted to know more, but sensed Liev’s caution. This was an interview, after all, and she didn’t want him baring his soul, giving away his deepest secrets. She would have to find another way to discover what really lay behind that comment, because right now she wanted nothing more than to protect his past.
‘I’d have given anything for a place like this,’ Liev continued, but she could hear the caution in his tone. ‘The place I stayed in for five years was much tougher.’
Bianca was aware of notes being made. She’d thought bringing him here would be good, that she’d be able to play on the bad-boy-makes-good image the press loved, but right now she felt as if she’d lost Liev to that past.
‘Thank you, gentlemen,’ she cut in efficiently, ending the interview. ‘I think you have enough now.’
Billy had gone. Disappeared from sight. Was that how Liev had lived? Was that why she couldn’t find out anything about him?
Liev turned to look at her, his eyes harder than she’d ever seen them before. She met his gaze, matching his fury. This was exactly the sort of promotion that would achieve all the open doors he craved. Had he really expected to keep everything he’d ever done quiet and away from prying eyes?
‘You should have warned me what today was all about.’ His words were gentle enough, but she didn’t miss the sharp edge to them.
‘What did you expect, Liev? More red-carpet shots? That’s not the way to the hearts of New York society.’ The brittle edge to her response was born out of disappointment and despair. She really needed that bracelet, and the sooner, the better. She pinned all her hopes on this interview. This was exactly the right thing, but somehow it had softened her heart even more to him. She’d seen something raw and profound within him as he’d spoken, all the while looking at Billy.
‘I said I didn’t want my past used.’
‘This is my personal charity, Liev, and the interview you’ve just given will benefit Billy and all the other kids here as much as you.’
* * *
/> Liev was seeing a new side to Bianca, one that banished his first impression of her being a spoilt princess firmly from his mind. Her motives for helping him, just for a bracelet, didn’t add up, but he’d get to the bottom of that whilst they were away.
